


Gravel to Tempo

by 0bviousLeigh



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Discussion of Depression, F/F, Fluff, Minor Character Death, Romance, Serena is a dancer, later descriptions of what happens to ballerina's feet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 09:46:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9229265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0bviousLeigh/pseuds/0bviousLeigh
Summary: Serena's life takes an abrupt turn when she nearly gets run down by a girl on a motorcycle.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Named after Hayley Kiyoko's song of the same name

Serena never has company, so she doesn’t give a damn about what her house looks like. When she rolls out of bed at 5 AM, she grabs a pair of pants off the floor, leaves her bed unmade, and leaves her cereal bowl unwashed in the sink. She grabs her bag and heads out the door, stopping to get two cups of black coffee on the way to the studio.

She’s five minutes late for rehearsal. For any other dancer it would mean a public lecture by Mistress Ray, the head instructor. Serena is the exception—she’s Ray’s adopted daughter, and Ray knows that Serena was in the practice room until midnight rehearsing. Serena hands Ray the extra coffee and kisses her cheek. Ray pats her shoulder and tells her to go warm up. A few of the dancers cast envious looks in Serena’s direction, but she ignores them. They can whisper about favoritism all they want, no one questions her position to her face because they know she earned it.

Serena puts on her pointe shoes and spends twenty minutes at the barre, getting out the cracks in her joints and the pops in her spine. At twenty one she has the body of someone much older than herself, but that’s the pains of ballet. It takes a toll on the joints, the spine, the very skeleton of the dancer, and Serena has been dancing for fourteen years.

It was pure luck that she even got picked up by this company, and it shouldn’t have happened at all. Serena used to be a foster child, looked down upon for having no family. In her kindergarten class, she was always by herself. But one young mother took pity on her, and when her daughter said she didn’t want Serena at her birthday party, her mother made the girl invite Serena anyway. Serena knew she wasn’t welcome, and the little girl told her to decline the invitation. So of course, Serena showed up anyway just to spite her. The “party” was a dance lesson taught by the ballerinas at a famous company. Serena had always loved dance, but never took lessons. She caught the attention of Ray Akaba that day, a recently named soloist at the company.

Ray recommended Serena for the company’s training scholarship. The group home Serena was in saw the opportunity to have their name attached to Serena if she made it big, and they brought her to the scholarship audition. Serena doesn’t remember much from that day. She does remember a lady who pulled and pushed her into different positions to see how flexible she was, and she remembers that another little girl threw up because she was so nervous. By the end of the day, Serena had been selected for the scholarship, and she began training with the company. Even then she was looked down on, because her clothes and dance shoes were always second hand, and because Ray often came to practice just to see how Serena was doing.

When Serena was eight, her group home closed down. By that point Ray had made it to principal dancer, and she was financially stable. She adopted Serena and became not just her legal guardian, but her personal coach as well.

Serena knows she owes Ray a lot. Her story is like that of Cinderella, scooped from the ashes to become a princess. She’s danced on stages that most dancers never get to see. She’s met people that most dancers have only ever heard of. Ray has always seen to it that Serena is cared for, she managed Serena’s finances and when she turned eighteen, she set Serena up in her own place close to the company. She takes care of Serena’s medical bills and comes over every now and then to make sure she’s eating properly. At the same time, Serena kind of resents Ray, and she kind of resents dancing.

If she had a choice, Serena doesn’t think she would have been a dancer, not professionally. She likes ballet, but it’s hell on her body and mind. At 21, Serena knows her career is nearly over. Even for a ballerina, her health is terrible. She’s got maybe a year and a half left with the company. Her dream, ever since she saw the movie Black Swan, is to have hallucinogenic sex with Mila Kunis and then die on stage from a mirror shard to the gut. Okay, that’s not exactly true, but man, what a way to go. At least then she wouldn’t have to worry about her shitty knees and bleak future.

“Serena!” Ray calls, “We’re ready for you. _Rose Adagio,_ let’s go everyone!”

Serena goes the middle of the floor while the other dancers flit to their positions. The company is opening a production of Sleeping Beauty in a week, and Serena has been selected to be Sleeping Beauty. It’s a huge career opportunity, and she’s pretty young to be playing the role, not the least because of the “Rose Adagio,” one of the hardest dances in the ballet world, Serena knew that when she auditioned for the role. She wasn’t expecting to get it, given her age, but she’s glad she got it.

The four male dancers playing Serena’s suitors take their positions. Serena puts her shoulders back and waits for the music.

After three hours of rehearsal the dancers are called to wardrobe for their final costume fittings. Even while she waits, Serena practices. She works on her arm movements and steps in place, and she practices standing on her toes for extended periods of time. That’s one of the hells of the Rose Adagio, she’s never been on her toes for that long in any of her other performances. She’s hoping by the time she has to do it for the production, she’ll have lost all feeling in her toes.

After her fittings (which take another two hours) Serena runs to a deli and grabs a sandwich. She scarfs it down and heads back to the studio, where she works on her other dances. At 5 PM she goes back to practicing the Rose. Ray helps her with her posture and the more minute aspects of the dance.

“Smile,” Ray instructs.

Serena groans. Smiling is harder to do than anything else.

By 10 PM most of the other dancers have already gone home, and Ray chases Serena out of the building.

“Go shower and eat something,” she orders. “And get some sleep!”

Serena hoists her duffle bag over her shoulder and starts off down the block. When she’s sure that Ray isn’t watching her anymore, she collapses against a building and grimaces, holding her right foot. She cracked her toenail two hours ago and it hurts like hell. After a moment she starts limping along, trying to balance on the outside of her foot. She’s so focused on how she’s walking that she barely hears what’s going on around her, and she doesn’t pay attention to where she’s going. She steps out in the street and nearly gets blinded by headlights.

Serena stumbles back and pain shoots through her foot. She falls on the curb with a yelp.

“Shit!” A girl yells. Serena feels a hand on her shoulder. “Jesus did I hit you? Oh my god, I’m so sorry!”

Serena blinks in the bright light and looks up at the girl hovering over her. She’s got the visor of her motorcycle helmet pushed up. Slowly Serena comes back to reality—she can hear the humming of an engine, the distant sounds of traffic, and her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.

“You didn’t hit me,” Serena says. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

The girl looks pissed off for a second. “No shit,” she mutters. Then she looks guilty. “Are you okay? You sounded like you were in pain.”

“I hurt my foot,” Serena says. The girl is really pretty, and the headlights make her helmet shine like a halo.

The girl takes off her helmet. She’s young, her hair is dyed aqua green, and her eyeliner is fantastic. She holds out her hand and without thinking, Serena takes it. The girl pulls her to her feet. Serena stands, keeping her right foot off the ground.

“Are you going to be okay?” The girl asks. “Can I give you a ride home? It’s the least I can do.”

Serena is about to turn her down—Ray would actually kill her if she got on a motorcycle, she calls them screaming metal death traps—but her foot really hurts and she’s never been one to follow the rules.

“That would actually be very much appreciated,” Serena says with a smile, and she’s amazed by how easily it comes to her face.

The girl hands Serena her helmet. “Have you ridden before?”

Serena shakes her head. The girl helps her put the helmet on and buckle the strap, then helps her onto the back of the motorcycle. The girl sits, takes Serena hands, and wraps them around her waist.

“Lean against me,” the girl instructs. “Just stay fluid. What’s your address?”

Serena rattles off her street and building, glad that she’s wearing the helmet so the girl can’t see her blushing. Serena scolds herself, she dances with guys all the time, they lift her into the air and hold her by her thighs, why is she falling to pieces because she touched a girl’s waist?

Oh right, because she’s a gigantic lesbian.

“Hang on!” The girl yells, and she revs the engine and takes off.

Serena feels like she got the wind knocked out of her, and she just barely remembers to be fluid. In ballet, she’s always pulled taught, back straight like an arrow, so staying loose is something she has to think about, and it’s not easy with the wind whipping around her, roaring in her ears, and when she feels like she left her stomach on the curb where she fell.

The ride is, ultimately, far too short for Serena’s liking. When they pull up in front of her building, she lets out a shaky laugh. “That was amazing!” She cries.

The girl smiles at her. “It’s why I love it.” She helps Serena off the bike and when Serena takes her helmet off, the girl’s eyes widen. “Have we met before?”

Serena bites her lip. “I don’t think so…” she points past the girl’s shoulder, “But you might be thinking of that.”

The girl turns around to look at the billboard in the distance, where Serena’s face is advertising a bottled water brand. “Oh, snap!” The girl cries, “You’re Serena Akaba!”

“Guilty as charged,” Serena laughs.

The girl looks aghast. “I can’t believe I almost ran you over! I’m so sorry!”

“It was my fault,” Serena says firmly. “I wasn’t watching where I was going, I’m the one who should be sorry. I am sorry. In fact—hang on, what’s your name?”

“Rin,” the girl answers, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “Um, can I help you with anything else?”

“Yes,” Serena says, “You can help me get into my apartment.”

Without waiting for an answer, she drapes her arm over Rin’s shoulders and points at the building’s front steps. “Those things are the bane of my existence.”

Rin helps her up to the lobby and Serena keeps a tight hold on her as she hobbles to the elevator.

“Am I helping you inside?” Rin asks.

“Yes,” Serena answers, feeling her cheeks heat up. “I have something for you.”

She ignores Rin’s protests, now practically dragging her along. For once in her life, Serena is appalled at herself for her messy apartment. She releases Rin at the doorway and hops to the kitchen, where she grabs an envelope from the table. She hops back to the doorway and thrusts the envelope in Rin’s direction.

“Here, take this,” Serena grunts as she wobbles. She’s gotten too used to being fluid, now she can’t balance herself properly on her good foot.

Rin grabs Serena’s arm and steadies her. “What is it?” She asks.

“Tickets to opening night of my next show,” She says. “It’s Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, I’m Aurora. I always get these tickets and I have no one to give them to. Since I stupidly stepped out in front of you and you graciously helped me get home, I want you to have them.”

Rin blushes and sputters. “But—I can’t—you really…”

“Take them,” Serena insists, forcing her tone to stay gentle. “If you don’t like ballet, I’m sure you can find someone who does. Get them to owe you a favor or something.”

Rin smiles. “I like ballet. Thanks for this, it’s really sweet of you.”

Serena waves her hand. “Don’t mention it,” she mutters.

For a moment, they stand in silence. Then Rin clears her throat. “I better get going,” she says. “Thanks for this. I’ll be there.”

Rin leaves, and Serena closes the door behind her. She slumps down on the floor and pats her cheeks, which she knows are bright red. “Oh crap, she’s hot,” Serena whispers to herself.

 

The week seems to drag on, yet Serena has trouble focusing on what’s happening around her. She practices, she does dress rehearsals, somehow she manages to look presentable for the photoshoot, but it’s like she’s watching everything happen to someone else. Serena’s body is physically present with the company, but her head is lost in the feeling of being on a motorcycle with a sweet girl named Rin. She’s never had a crush like this before, and her behavior hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“What’s on your mind?” Ray asks. It’s the night before the first show, and she’s taken Serena out for dinner at some vegan place.

Serena fiddles with her fork. “The show,” she says.

“It’s more than that,” Ray says with a frown. “I can’t tell if you’re more involved than usual, or more distant than usual. I feel like you flip flop between the two.”

Ray once asked Serena if she wanted to be a dancer. Serena had been nine, and she said no, but she was going to be one anyway because it was the only good thing in her life, the only talent she had that she could be proud of. Serena is proud of herself, but she also hates herself. Lately she’s been pushing to be better, to try to enjoy herself more. Rin is going to watch her dance. It’s ignited a fire in her soul.

Serena looks down at her plate. She takes a bite of her salad and chews slowly, trying to think of an answer for Ray. “I’m just thinking about…how much longer I’ll stay with the company.”

They’ll perform Sleeping Beauty for three months, Serena will dance four nights a week. After that, she’ll have to see what kind of shape she’s in.

Ray takes her hand. “I’ll support you no matter what you decide,” she says.

Serena can’t meet her eyes.

 

Serena’s backstage getting her makeup done when there’s a knock on the dressing room door. An usher pokes his head in. “Miss Serena, your guests are here.”

Serena is confused, then she realizes it must be Rin—she forgot that if someone holds a ticket with the name of a company dancer on it, the ushers bring them backstage. Serena rises from her chair and the usher stands back to let Rin and a little girl into the room.

“I forgot to warn you,” Serena says. The little girl lets out a squeal, and Rin hushes her.

“Sorry,” Rin says, smiling sheepishly. “This is Amanda, she’s my little sister.”

Serena smiles and kneels in front of the girl. She’s holding a bouquet of roses, and she holds them out for Serena. “These are for you,” she says shyly.

Serena is utterly touched. “Thank you,” she says. She takes the flowers and smells one. “They’re lovely.”

“Rin bought them, but I picked them out,” Amanda says, rocking back and forth on her toes. She looks wonderstruck. “Are you a princess?”

Serena grins. “Only in this show.”

Amanda sighs. “I wish I could be a dancer,” she says wistfully.

Serena looks up to her makeup artist, who is watching the encounter with a smile. “Allie, can you give Miss Amanda here a princess makeover?”

Amanda is almost beside herself as Serena lifts her into the makeup chair. While Allie fusses over her, Serena turns to Rin. “Thanks for the flowers,” she says. She places them on her dressing table, wondering if she actually has a vase available to put them in.

“Thank you for this!” Rin says with a smile. “Amanda was so excited for today, she’s never been to a real ballet before. Neither have I for that matter, I don’t think either of us slept last night.”

Serena’s heart flutters like a butterfly. She’s never been so eager to get on stage and perform.

“You look lovely,” Rin says.

Serena feels her cheeks heat up. “So do you,” she says. Rin’s wearing a classic black dress and it looks fantastic on her.

Rin reaches into her purse and pulls out the envelope of tickets. “Did you really mean to give me all of them?” She asks quietly. “There’s like, fifteen more tickets here.”

“And they’re good for the whole run of the show,” Serena says. “You can come back to see it whenever you want. Like I said, I never have anyone to give those to, anyone I could is already with the company.”

“Done!” Allie says. Serena and Rin turn to the makeup chair. Allie has covered Amanda’s face in glitter and painted butterfly wings next to her eyes.

“That was impressively fast,” Serena says.

Allie winks at her. “I did face painting to put myself through school.”

Interesting, Serena never knew that. She helps Amanda down from her chair. “Well Princess, you better get to your seat.”

Amanda throws her arms around Serena’s waist and hugs her tightly. “Thank you! I can’t wait to see you dance!”

Serena watches her and Rin leave with a warm feeling spreading through her chest.

Allie nudges her. “Your girlfriend?” She asks teasingly.

Serena’s face heats up even more and she sticks her tongue out at Allie. “Mind your own business.”

All through the show, Serena imagines that she can feel Rin’s eyes on her. She focuses on Rin’s words, that she was so excited she couldn’t sleep, and dances to convey her hopes that Rin is enjoying herself. She dances to show Rin what she can do, how graceful and beautiful she can be. When Serena smiles at the dancers playing the princes, she imagines Rin’s face in their place. She remembers the touch of Rin’s hand on her own and how warm it made her feel. She remembers the feeling in her stomach as she rode with Rin through the city streets.

Serena feels like the show ends in a heartbeat. Soon she’s taking her final bow for the audience, and she looks out over the crowd, but she can’t see Rin or Amanda. When the curtain falls she rushes backstage and straight into Ray.

“Oh, sorry,” Serena says, but Ray hugs her tightly.

“Bravo,” Ray whispers, “I’ve never seen you dance better than you did tonight.” She leans back and Serena is shocked to see tears in her eyes. “It’s like I’ve never seen you this happy before.”

And Serena gets comments like that from dozens of dancers and staff, all of whom say she was in top form.

“I’d be amazed if you don’t get some kind of award for this,” Allie tells her.

Serena is puzzled. Was she really that different?

 

Serena could shoot herself for being so stupid as to not get Rin’s phone number. She didn’t get to see Rin after the show, and she has no idea what Rin thought of the performance. It’s been three days and she’s heard nothing. She can barely get herself motivated to get out of bed for rehearsal, and she’s twenty minutes late for practice.

Ray scolds her for it. “One amazing performance doesn’t mean you can slack off.”

“I know,” Serena snaps. “It won’t happen again.”

Ray glares at her, then holds out an envelope. “This came for you.”

Serena wants to tear it open now but she knows Ray would strangle her with her own tights for it. She has to wait until they break for lunch, and she opens the envelope, half expecting a congratulatory message from a donor or something. Instead she sees a piece of paper that looks like it was torn from a notebook, with a childish drawing of a ballerina. It’s signed ‘Amanda.’ Serena melts. She smiles and touches the paper gently. She’s never gotten anything like this before. Inside the envelope is another piece of paper with a phone number on it, and it’s signed ‘Rin.’

If she was alone, Serena would jump for joy. Instead she puts the number in her phone and the drawing in her bag. And if her grand jeté has a little more oomph to it than usual, no one comments on it.

After practice, Serena texts Rin on her way home. She’s not sure what to say, so she settles on ‘ **Hey it’s Serena. I got Amanda’s drawing, tell her I love it. How did you like the show?** ’ It sounds stupid to her, and she anxiously awaits Rin’s response.

‘ **I loved it! We both did, Amanda won’t stop talking about how she met a real ballerina.** ’ Before Serena can think of a response to that, Rin continues, **‘You were amazing. I’ve never seen anyone dance like that before.’**

‘ **Thank you,** ’ Serena answers. ‘ **I was in top form that night. I think you were a good luck charm for me.** ’

As soon as she hits send, she regrets it. She should have said ‘You and Amanda,’ or even just ‘Amanda.’

Rin responds with a heart emoji. Serena nearly has a heart attack.

‘ **What do you do on your days off?** ’ Rin asks.

‘ **Nothing at all,** ’ Serena answers.

‘ **Want to have lunch some time?** ’

Serena closes her eyes and jumps around in circles in the middle of the sidewalk. ‘ **Absolutely,** ’ she answers.

 

Monday is Serena’s Saturday, but Monday is Monday for Rin. She and Serena agree to meet for dinner at 6 at a little dumpling place that Serena has never been to but has heard of. Normally Serena sleeps until sundown on her day off, but today she’s up at noon and planning what to wear. She does laundry for the first time in two weeks and googles what the hell ‘dressy casual’ entails. Even with all the time she invests into getting ready, getting out the door, and finding the restaurant, she’s still an hour early for their date.

But it’s not a date. Neither of them said it was a date. Is it a date?

Serena takes out her phone. _‘Am I on a date?’_ she types into a search engine, half as a joke to herself. Actual results come up and she quickly closes the window. She doesn’t want to know. She tugs her scarf up around her chin. It’s kind of chilly, and she barely owns any winter weather clothes because she’s always in exercise mode. It took her a while to find pants that weren’t leggings and these pants, while nice, are really thin. There’s a café across the street and she ducks into it for coffee. At ten minutes to the hour, she lets Rin know she’s arrived.

‘ **You can go on inside** ,’ Rin says, ‘ **I’ll find you.** ’

So Serena finishes her coffee and goes back to the restaurant. She’s taken to a small table and given two menus and two water glasses. She skims the menu, more interested in watching the door than reading. After a few minutes Rin strolls in, shaking her hair out from her hat. She’s got a large duffle bag slung over her shoulder. She spots Serena immediately and sits across from her.

“You look cute,” Rin says. She drops her bag and it lands with a loud ‘thunk’.

Serena blushes. “You, too.” Rin’s wearing a bright blue sweater and light jeans. Serena regrets wearing so much black. She needs to go shopping soon.

“So I admit, I looked at your Wikipedia page,” Rin says.

“I have a Wikipedia page?” Serena says.

Rin smiles. “You do. I found out we have something in common. We both grew up in foster care.”

She seems hesitant, like she’s not sure she should say it, but Serena doesn’t mind discussing it. “Yeah, I did until I was eight and Ray adopted me.”

Rin brushes her hair behind her ear. “I was adopted when I was ten by my older foster brother. If it wasn’t for him I don’t know if I would have ever gotten out.”

The waitress comes to take their order. Rin grins and says, “The usual.”

Serena panics and says “I’m not allergic to anything, surprise me.”

Rin gives her an appraising look. “Adventurous.”

“Not used to this,” Serena corrects. “I barely go anywhere. I could sit here all night and not make a decision.”

“I’d imagine you’re pretty busy,” Rin says, “With rehearsals and all that. What’s your work week like?”

“I practice every day,” Serena says, “When we have a show I perform four days a week.” She debates keeping her mouth shut, then blurts, “It’s hell on my body.”

Rin gives her a pitying look. “I figured. All that time on your toes, those positions…I guess it takes a special kind of person to be a ballerina.”

Serena nods. “What about you, what do you do?”

“I work in a sporting goods shop, I fix bikes,” Rin says, “And on the weekends I compete in local motocross tournaments. Once I finish college, the shop is going to sponsor me to go to more out-of-state competitions.”

“Wow,” Serena says, “So you do race.”

Rin smiles. “Yep, I’m a regular speed demon.”

They continue talking about Rin’s races until their food arrives. Rin has soup dumplings, Serena got a vegetarian blend that’s actually very good. She didn’t realize how hungry she was until she took a bite of one dumpling, and next thing she knows she’s inhaling them. It’s been a while since she’s eaten food that she didn’t have to defrost first.

When it comes time to pay, Serena grabs the check before Rin can even reach for it.

“I’m the one who asked you to come,” Rin says even as Serena hands her card to the waitress.

“I don’t mind,” Serena says, “If you hadn’t asked, I’d be eating frozen pizza at home by myself.”

“You live alone?” Rin asks.

Serena nods. “I’m pretty independent. But Ray checks up on me.” She signs the receipt and wonders what happens next. She looks up at Rin, who smiles at her.

“Want to go for a ride?” Rin asks.

Serena’s heart skips several beats. “On your bike?”

Rin nods. “You seemed to enjoy it last time. Got a bit of speed demon in you, too, don’t ‘cha?”

Serena grins and nods. “I guess I do.”

Rin gets to her feet. “I knew it. I brought an extra helmet for you.”

Serena grabs her bag and follows Rin out of the restaurant. Her bike is parked on the street, and Rin pulls two helmets out of her duffle bag. That explains the loud sound it made earlier. Rin stuffs the now-empty bag into the space under the seat and then helps Serena fasten her helmet.

“If I go to fast, pinch my leg,” Rin tells her, “Screaming tells me nothing, I’ll just assume you’re having fun.”

“I don’t scream,” Serena says.

Rin grins wickedly. “Bet I can make you.”

Serena hears the innuendo in that and she feels like her face is on fire, but she says nothing and neither does Rin. But she soon discovers that Rin was right, she can make Serena scream.

They leave the city limits and start driving down a highway, shockingly empty, and Rin is driving so fast that Serena feels like the air has been taken right out of her lungs. She throws her head back and laughs.

“Go on, scream!” Rin yells. She lets out a whoop that echoes even over the sound of the engine, and Serena screams right along with her. It’s cathartic, it’s amazing, Serena’s never felt so alive before in her life. The sky looks limitless, the road is smooth as velvet, and the roar of the engine is sweeter than any symphony she’s ever danced to.

Rin drives to a hiking trail in the forest, and Serena has no idea when they left the city limits, she wasn’t really paying attention to where they were going. But it’s late and chilly, and the parking lot outside the trail is deserted. When Rin cuts the engine and she and Serena remove their helmets, Serena gets a look at the fire in Rin’s eyes and somehow she knows what’s coming.

“This was a date,” Serena says, breathless.

Rin nods. “It was.”

Rin kisses her, and whether it’s adrenaline left over from the ride or the rush of being kissed, Serena can’t say, but she feels like she’s flying. She responds to the kiss with a ferocity she didn’t know she possessed. Her helmet falls from her hands as she grips the back of Rin’s jacket. Rin licks across her lip and Serena gasps. Rin’s tongue is in her mouth, and Serena whimpers as her knees shake. She never wants to stop kissing Rin.

But of course, they do have to stop eventually. It’s cold, and late, and as they put their helmets on again Serena says, “If it weren’t for the cold, I’d probably stay here all night.”

Rin smiles. “Yeah, I would too.”

Rin drops Serena off at her apartment. Serena tries to give her back her extra helmet, but she won’t take it. “Hang on to it,” Rin says. “We should do this again.” She takes off her own helmet to give Serena another kiss, and Serena clings to the helmet for dear life so she doesn’t tackle Rin right off her bike.

That night Serena lies awake for hours, recalling the feeling of the wind rushing past her, and the brush of Rin’s hair as she tilted her head during their kiss. When she does sleep, she dreams about wrapping herself around Rin and never letting go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rose Adagio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTkIyYMP27c


	2. Part 2

Serena lives for the hours after rehearsal. She no longer spends hours in the studio every night, scrutinizing her own reflection, her taped practices for flaws. She doesn’t breeze out of the studio with the other students, she tears out like a fucking hurricane, racing down the stairs and down the blocks to the sports shop where Rin works. Rin waits for her, for the twenty or so minutes it takes for Serena’s work day to end after her own day ends, and they start discussing what to do with their time. Sometimes they go out to eat, a full sit down meal or a quick snack, especially if it’s raining.

If it’s nice, as nice as it can be in the dark of winter, they take off riding. The icy chill of the winter wind is no deterrent to them as Rin speeds out of the city, Serena clinging to her waist as the lights streak in her peripheral vision. They go to the hiking trails in the woods, alone as the cold and dark keep other people away. Serena slips her icy fingers into Rin’s jacket pockets and they kiss for long stretches of time, the wind and the leaves the only witnesses as they lean against tree trunks, taking note of what makes each other’s breath hitch and cheeks flush.

Sometimes they go to the beach, and Rin drives in circles around the parking lot, gravel spraying out from under her wheels as she accelerates fast enough to make Serena’s stomach jerk.

“Are you an adrenaline junkie?” Rin asks as Serena yells at her to go faster.

“Possibly!” Serena answers to the sky—her head thrown back as she feels the rush of the wind.

Sometimes they walk along the shore, and Serena’s sneakers will get soaked in the waves because she walks too close to the water. If she has to change her shoes, because her feet are just too cold, she makes Rin look away. Her feet disgust her, Rin doesn’t need to see them.

One night Rin drives to a footbridge and she and Serena walk to the middle of the bridge and toss rocks over the edge.

“I went skinny dipping in this river two years ago,” Rin says. “Exactly two years ago.”

Serena gapes at her. “In the dead of winter?”

Rin nods. “I was…messed up. I was hanging out with the wrong people, I was depressed, I wanted to feel something. The cold gave me a rush, and I just wanted it colder and colder until I was jumping into frozen ponds. My brother—Yugo, not the one who adopted me—he finally got in my face about it and told me to go to a doctor.”

Serena bites her lip and doesn’t meet Rin’s eyes. She’s been refusing to wear gloves because she loves the tingling feeling she gets in her limbs when they freeze.

“It’s a form of self-harm,” Rin says, like she knows what Serena is thinking.

Serena is silent for a while. Rin and Amanda came to another one of her shows this week, but she didn’t get the same rush she got that first time they came. She wants that rush back, but it’s so hard to find things that give it to her.

“I’ve been thinking…” Serena says, but she trails off.

Rin nudges her. “’Bout what?”

Serena folds her arms on the bridge’s stone wall and rests her chin in her hands. “Retiring from dance.”

If Rin is surprised, she doesn’t show it. “Would you miss it?”

Serena shrugs. “Some things. I guess the performance part of it, but the constant practice and stress, the expectations, the judgement…I wouldn’t miss that. I just don’t know what I would do, you know? I’ve been dancing for so long and I never really found out what else I was good at, if anything.”

“You could always go to college,” Rin says. “Take some different kinds of dance classes, or no dance classes at all.”

Serena hums. “I could do that.” Doesn’t mean she will, but it’s something to think about.

The next time she sees Rin, Rin gives her a college brochure.

“I know you weren’t exactly planning to do it now,” Rin says, “But just to have.”

And Serena actually reads it. More and more, she likes the idea of going to school. Maybe when the show comes to an end.

 

Since dating Rin, Serena finds music in the most unexpected sounds. When she dances, the lilting piano notes no longer give her a sense of flight, the harp doesn’t make her feet feel like the lightest of feathers. Instead, Serena’s percussion becomes the sound of a motorcycle engine, the piano turns into the sound of Rin’s laughter, the harp turns into the whisper of wind through the trees, the trumpet becomes the crash of waves on the sand, and the crunch of parking lot gravel under her sneakers becomes her tempo.

 

One night, Serena gets a call from Ray.

“Hello?” She answers, busy scrolling through a blog post called ‘college applications for dummies.’

“Did I correctly see you riding on a motorcycle last night?”

Oh well, Serena thinks to herself with a sigh. It was only matter of time, after all. “You did.”

“Have you lost your common sense?” Ray demands. “You know those things are dangerous!”

“I ride with a pro,” Serena says calmly. “I’m not afraid.”

“You should be! Serena do you even know the statistics? What if you got involved in a crash?”

“What a tragedy, I’d never dance again,” Serena says in a tone of utter boredom. “Well, my understudy would be happy. The show must go on an all that.”

Ray is silent. Finally, she says, “Serena, it is far more than just that. You could die, do you understand that?”

“I could die choking on a sip of water, too,” Serena snaps, finally fed up. “The difference is riding with Rin is exciting and I finally feel like I’m living for something besides a review in a snotty newspaper. It’s been two months and I’m fine, okay? I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Ray.”

She hangs up and slams her laptop shut, officially too distracted to read any more about special entrances for those who didn’t take exams in high school. She does let Rin know that she won’t be able to see her tomorrow night after her show, since she knows it is best not to piss off Ray that much. It occurs to her that she mentioned Rin by name, and she hopes Ray doesn’t go all CIA on her and send thugs to Rin’s house to break them up. Then again, maybe Serena’s been watching too many soap operas.

 

Serena arrives to rehearsal purposefully late. She waits in the hall until she hears the music start, and then she darts in and skips warm up. She doesn’t miss Ray’s glare, but she doesn’t particularly care. She practices for an hour when the practice room echoes with the sound of a cell phone—Serena’s ring tone, she knows it because she’s the only one without a ballet theme as her ringtone. Rolling her eyes, she goes to her bag, takes her phone out, and hands it to Ray without even glancing at the caller ID. Standard practice, most calls are from agents, but the dancers do have dates, so the Madam either fields calls or yells at airheaded boyfriends.

Ray frowns at the phone and answers cautiously.

“I am her guardian,” she says to the person on the other end of the line. She falls silent, her expression shuttered. Serena stops mid-step, forgetting about practice. What could make Ray go blank like that?

Ray turns away, and after a few minutes she hangs up the phone. She turns back.

“Serena, come with me please,” she says. “Bring your things.”

Serena follows Ray out of the practice room, her heart racing. This is officially weirding her out. Ray leads her down the hall to the office.

“Serena, that was the police department,” Ray says. She hesitates. “Since you’re a former foster child, your DNA is in the national registry.”

“Okay?” Serena says, relaxing a bit. She thought it was about Rin, but if it’s a DNA thing, it can’t be.

Ray clears her throat. “If people can’t be identified, their DNA is run through such databases to look for familial matches. A month ago…a month ago a woman died in the local hospital. She had no ID, so her DNA was run and it was a match to yours.”

Serena feels like the world has tilted under her feet. “So…who was she?” Serena asks, her heart in her mouth.

Ray takes her hand. “Your mother.”

Serena closes her eyes. She can’t breathe. She never knew her mother, never knew if she was alive or dead, but clearly she had been alive, and for a number of years, but now she’s dead and Serena will never know anything about her other than that—she’s dead.

“Serena,” Ray calls. Serena opens her eyes, but her head is spinning and she closes them again.

“Serena,” Ray says again, “Go home. I’ll take you there, we can talk more about this later.”

“About what?” Serena asks.

Ray hesitates. “Well…the police want to know, in the next few days, if you want to claim her body.”

Serena’s stomach heaves and she claps her hand to her mouth. Ray ends up driving her home, and it’s probably for the best, Serena doubts she could get home by herself.

But once Ray leaves her in her apartment, Serena immediately regrets coming back. She’s alone, and there’s no one to stop her form completely losing control of herself. She feels like she’s falling from a cliff as she flashes between sadness, confusion, and anger. She paces her apartment, wringing her hands and occasionally wiping tears from her face.

She knows Rin is working, but finally she can’t stand the sound of her own sobs and calls her.

Rin answers and Serena tries to keep her voice from shaking as she talks. “Rin, I just got some terrible news, can you come over?”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Rin vows.

Serena collapses on her sofa, head in her hands, guilt swallowing her. She shouldn’t be dragging Rin into this, it’s her problem, why should she make Rin miserable alongside her? But Serena really can’t stand to be alone right now, and Rin’s the only other person besides Ray that she could talk to about this.

The bell rings and Serena buzzes Rin into the building. After a minute there’s a knock on the door and Serena lets her in. Rin is windswept, her eyes wide and her face pale.

“What happened?” Rin asks.

Serena gulps. “The police called me…my DNA is in the system, it matched to a body they found. It was my mom, my mom is dead and I never…” she breaks off, sobbing.

Rin hugs her.

“I’m sorry,” Serena blubbers, clinging to Rin.

“Don’t be,” Rin says, rubbing her back. “Oh Serena, I’m so sorry for you.” She leans back and wipes Serena’s face. “Come on, let’s sit down.”

They go to the sofa and Serena collapses. Rin pulls Serena against her chest and strokes her hair. “I can’t imagine how you must be feeling,” she says.

“I’m so mad at her,” Serena says, her throat so tight she can hardly speak, but she keep going. “She was here, she was alive this whole time, it’s been twenty one years! I can’t believe she was alive the whole time and she never tried to find me. I could have known her, I could have helped her! I would have helped her! My face is everywhere in this damn city, I do TV commercials! She must have seen me, how did she not know I was her daughter! She had no ID, she died alone and probably homeless and I’ll never have a chance to get to know her, to ask her if she saw me and knew I was her daughter! But I also don’t know why I’m so angry. Did I really lose anything? Who’s to say I wouldn’t have been hurt? She knew she couldn’t take care of me, she gave me away and yeah, I was miserable for a few years but I met Ray, I did something with my life. Maybe her giving me up was the best thing that could have happened to me.”  Serena pauses and takes a few deep breaths. “I have to decide what I want to do with her body,” she whimpers.

“Oh god,” Rin says. “Oh, Serena…”

“I don’t know what to do.”

Rin helps Serena sit up. “Well, how about we start with getting you some tea.”

Rin stands and makes herself at home in Serena’s kitchen. She boils water, finds mugs and the tins of tea that somehow got pushed to the back of Serena’s pantry. She brings Serena a mug and kneels in front of her.

“You’re still wearing your pointe shoes.”

Serena looks down. She didn’t even realize. Rin unties the ribbons on the shoes, and Serena is too tired to push her away. One slipper falls from her foot, and Serena closes her eyes so she doesn’t see Rin’s horrified expression. She knows she has blisters on her heel and her little toe, and three cracked nails, one of which is hideously bruised. Her other foot isn’t much better, and Rin removes that shoe as well.

“Have you got a bathtub?”

Serena opens her eyes. Rin is looking at her face, not her feet. Serena nods.

“Drink your tea,” Rin says. “I’ll go run you a bath.”

She leaves, and Serena does as she says and takes a sip of her tea. The fact that Rin didn’t run screaming is slightly comforting. Serena finishes her tea and makes her way to the bathroom. Rin is unwrapping something from her bag.

“It’s a bath bomb,” she says when she sees Serena looking. “I got it today and I was going to give it to you after your final performance, but I think now’s a good time to use it.” She drops it into the water and it fizzles, exploding into swirls of pink and purple. It smells wonderful.

“Do you want me to leave?” Rin asks.

Serena shrugs. “Up to you.”

Rin looks away when Serena undresses, but Serena is honestly beyond caring. She gets into the tub, and she feels her body relax instantly. It’s been a while she’s had a chance to use the soaking tub, but the warm water is like heaven on her body.

Rin kneels next to the tub. “Too warm, too cold?”

“Perfect,” Serena says.

Rin smiles at her. “The first time I crashed my racing bike I didn’t really get hurt, but I was messed up about it. My brother told me to drink some tea and take a bath, because it helps get the tension out of your head and body. You can’t think clearly when you’re tense, everything just ends up getting worse the longer you think about it.”

“Makes sense,” Serena mutters. She leans back against the tub and closes her eyes. She opens them again when she feels Rin’s fingers at the back of her head.

“Chill,” Rin says with a smile, “This always helps me relax.” She takes Serena’s hair out of its tight updo and gently combs her fingers through the tangles. “Dang, your hair is long,” she murmurs. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it loose.”

Serena closes her eyes again as Rin massages her scalp, neck, and shoulders. She finds a brush for Serena’s hair and brushes it over and over and over, until Serena feels like she could fall asleep to the repetitive motions. But eventually Rin braids her hair and tells her that the water has to be cold by now.

“I’m too tired to move,” Serena says quietly.

“Don’t you think a bed it a better place to take a nap?” Rin teases. She holds out a towel, and Serena stands and takes it.

Rin leaves while Serena dries off, and eventually Rin returns with a t-shirt and some fluffy lounge pants.

“These still had a tag on them,” Rin tells her. “I took it off.”

Serena has no idea why she never wore these before, they’re amazing—soft and warm, and like heaven against her skin. After she’s dressed, Rin grabs a bottle of skin lotion off the counter and follows Serena to her bedroom.

“What’s that for?” Serena asks.

Rin holds up a bottle of nail polish. “I also found this in my search for your clothes.”

Serena knows where this is going. “You don’t have to. I barely touch them myself.”

“Serena,” Rin says firmly, “It doesn’t bother me. Now, lay down and close your eyes.”

Serena obeys, flopping down on her unmade bed. “I live like a slob,” she mutters.

“And I live with two grown boys and three kids,” Rin says wryly. “This is nothing.” She takes one of Serena’s feet in her hands and starts massaging in the lotion. She’s so gentle, and Serena finds herself shaking each time Rin’s fingers brush the arch of her foot. She’s been nothing but cruel to her feet since she was a child, resigned to fate of finding them disgusting.

Rin repeats the treatment on Serena’s other foot, then Serena smells the sharp scent of nail polish. Rin carefully paints her toenails, careful not to touch her exposed nailbeds. Serena pushes herself up on her elbows. She didn’t even notice what color the nail polish was, but it’s a lovely purple-red color. Rin blows gently on the polish to dry it and Serena shivers again. Rin either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care to acknowledge it, but she does lean down and kiss Serena’s ankle.

“How are you feeling?” Rin asks as she closes the bottle of nail polish.

“Better,” Serena says. “But still kind of…lost.”

“That won’t go away overnight,” Rin says. “But you made it through the first day.”

Serena looks out the window. It’s dark outside. “What time is it?”

“Nearly 11.”

Serena feels guilty. “Do you have to leave?”

“No way,” Rin says, “Not unless you want me to. Honestly, there’s no place I’d rather be right now.”

Serena feels a lump rise to her throat once more and she blinks back tears. “You’re entirely too nice.”

“Not at all,” Rin says. “This is what you do when you care for someone a lot. Do you want me to stay the night?”

“If you don’t mind,” Serena says.

“Of course not. But I will be sleeping in your bed, I don’t do couches.”

Serena smiles. “It’s certainly big enough.”

Which, of course, means that they end up pressed against each other, limbs tangled together and blankets twisted around their feet. Serena sleeps better that night than she has in a long time.

 

Serena wakes up to the smell of something cooking and she’s momentarily confused. Ray can’t cook, and Serena barely bothers, who the hell is cooking? Then the memories of yesterday come back to her, her mother is dead and Rin stayed the night. Serena sits up and stretches. She glances at the clock. 10 AM. She had a show last night, she missed it. She’ll probably miss every other show this week, she has no idea if she’ll ever stand on stage again. This would be a perfect time to call it quits and retire, citing emotional distress. But is she that distressed? She didn’t know this woman.

Serena shakes herself and stands up, digging a sweater out of the pile of clothes on the floor. She looks down at her feet and wiggles her toes. The polish looks nice, Rin did a good job.

She goes to the kitchen, where Rin is hovering near the stove, and clears her throat. Rin looks up and smiles at her. “Hey, sleepy head. Your fridge was empty, I went to the grocery store on the corner and got some omelet fixings.”

“Wow,” Serena says, looking at the bags of groceries. “You’ve been busy. Um, I’ll pay you back…”

“Bah,” Rin says, waving her hand. “You’ve paid for our dates often enough, this is my treat.” She grins. “Besides, you haven’t tried it yet and I have no idea what you like. Since you liked the vegetarian dumplings though, I figured peppers, onions, and mushrooms were an okay choice.” She takes a plate from beside the stove and puts it on the counter in front of Serena, and pours a glass of orange juice. “Eat, I’ll be joining you in a second.”

Serena takes one bite and starts inhaling her food. She didn’t eat much yesterday and it was a bad day, and suddenly she can’t believe she ignored her own hunger for this long. She tries to slow down when Rin sits next to her, but Rin just strokes her hair and says, “I’m sure you’re starving.”

Serena nods. “It really is good,” she says between bites.

Rin smiles. “Thanks. If you want more, I can certainly make another, there’s plenty to go around.”

“Could you teach me?” Serena asks. “I…I’m kind of embarrassed to say this, I never learned to cook.”

“I’m not surprised,” Rin says gently, “I only learned recently and honestly, I can’t make much more than this. But I can certainly show you what to do.”

They spend the morning in Serena’s kitchen, with Rin explaining how to grease a pan and spatula so the egg doesn’t stick, how to make sure the egg is cooked all the way through, the difference in texture when the vegetables are cooked ahead of time versus tossed fresh into the egg. Serena’s first attempt at flipping the egg ends up splattering yolk all over the stovetop, but Rin tells her not to worry about it. In the end Serena actually manages to make something edible, and it’s just as good as Rin’s creation. She devours it and helps Rin wash dishes and put away the leftover vegetables.

“Am I taking you away from something?” Serena asks as they dry the dishes.

“Nope,” Rin says, “I was off today.”

“You didn’t have plans?”

“Aside from riding with you? No plans at all.”

Serena smiles and leans against the counter. “I still have no idea what to do. About anything.”

“Well, what are you thinking about?” Rin asks.

Serena folds her dishtowel into a tiny bundle. “Locking myself in my apartment until I decide what to do with…her body. Leaving the company and retiring.”

Rin places her hand on Serena’s shoulder. “Well, you were thinking about retiring even before this. You weren’t happy. Honestly, I doubt you’ve been happy for a long time.” She hesitates. “Have you ever…talked to a professional about your feelings? You display a lot of signs of depression.”

Serena closes her eyes. “I know that. Deep down I suspect it myself, I just…I don’t know why.”

“It’s a chemical imbalance,” Rin says firmly. “It doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful or broken. It’s like having a virus. You’ve got an imbalance in your body and it’s out of your own control, but it doesn’t have to be.”

Serena rubs her forehead and closes her eyes. “Do you know how to…go about it?”

“I do, I’d be happy to help you.”

Serena hugs her. She holds Rin tightly and whispers, “You’re amazing. You’re the best.”

Rin kisses her temple. “I do what I can.”

They sit down and Rin tells Serena to make a list of everything she wants to do with her life. For a moment she has no idea what to write, but soon things start coming to her. She wants to clean up her apartment, put away her clothes and make her bed in the morning. She wants to buy more kitchen supplies and learn to feed herself something besides cereal. She wants to adopt a cat. She wants to go to college.

“I think I’m going to get started on cleaning up right now,” Serena says.

“Want some help?” Rin asks.

Serena grins at her. “I would be honored.”

Serena never realized how many clothes she had until she actually had to fold them and put them away, and a lot of her clothes are actually nice. Some of them aren’t her style, and she ends up pushing Rin to take a bright blue leather jacket that she’s never worn but would look fantastic with Rin’s hair. She does laundry, she vacuums, she changes the sheets on her bed and washes the old ones. By the time night falls the apartment looks unrecognizable, and she and Rin have just finished organizing Serena’s DVD collection when there’s a knock on the door.

Serena answers the door and steps back to let Ray in. She’s got a bag of takeout.

“Is there enough for three?” Serena asks.

Ray nods. “Plenty.”

Serena introduces Rin to her foster mother, which sends a wave of emotion through Serena, but she’s able to hold steady through it.

“Wow, you cleaned,” Ray says.

“Rin helped,” Serena says. She’s able to set the table with real plates because she finally washed her dishes. “I want to change some things about my life.”

“Like I said, I’ll support you no matter what,” Ray says.

They sit down to eat and Rin and Ray make small talk while Serena turns a few things over in her head. Finally as the dishes are being cleared, she turns to Ray and says, “Can you call the police officers back and tell them I’ll take her body?”

Ray nearly drops the plate she’s holding. “Honey you don’t have to decide right now…”

“I know,” Serena says, “But I want to. I want that closure. I’ll have her cremated and interred.”

Ray nods. “Okay, I’ll let them know. I’ll help you find a funeral home as well.”

Serena hugs her. “Thanks, mom.” She rarely ever calls Ray that, but it feels fitting in this situation.

Yes, Serena’s biological mother is dead, but she’s been loved for many years by Ray as though she was Ray’s own daughter. As for the woman who gave birth to her, Serena can afford her the respect of a burial. She knows she’s not obligated to, but she can afford it and it feels like the right thing for her.

Serena continues, “And I think I want to go to a doctor and talk about my mental health.”

“We can do that, too,” Ray says, patting Serena’s back.

Serena looks up at Rin, who smiles encouragingly.

“And I want to go to college.”

“Okay.”

Tears sting Serena’s eyes. “And I want to have one last performance and then retire.”

Ray leans back and pats Serena’s cheeks. “Okay.”

Serena closes her eyes and sobs on Ray’s shoulder. It feels like a weight has been lifted off her chest and she can finally breathe again. Things are starting to turn around.

 

It took two weeks for Serena’s mother to be laid to rest. Serena never laid eyes on the body, but she did get handed a file of her mother’s medical records and a few pictures. She hasn’t looked at the file yet, instead she gave it to Rin and asked her to hold on to it for a while. Her mother was interred in the local cemetery, only Serena and Ray were present to watch the urn be sealed into the simple monument. During the process of finding and purchasing a plot and an urn and sending the body to the crematory, Serena barely had time to think about anything else, but on the date of the internment she went to a doctor to talk about her mental health, and was given a recommendation for a mental health clinic. She’s going to the clinic after her final performance of her ballet career, which is also the company’s final performance of Sleeping Beauty.

Serena didn’t want a big fuss made about her retirement. There will be no onstage announcement, no going away party, in fact as far as she knows most of the company dancers have no idea why she’s been away for so long or what her future plans are.

Rin is in the audience, and so is Amanda and Rin’s brothers, Crow and Yugo. Just as she’s done for the past few weeks, Serena dances to the music in her own head, rather than the sounds from the orchestra. Tonight she doesn’t dance for the company, or Ray, or even Rin. She does it because she’s saying goodbye to a huge part of her life, and as happy as she is, she’s also a little sad.

When the show is over, Serena takes her final bow with her understudy, a girl named Sayaka, who filled in her role for most of the last month, and she gives Sayaka a bouquet of flowers and a hug as the curtain closes on them. She thinks Sayaka is the only one in the company besides the higher-ups who knows what tonight is for Serena. She’s shocked when Sayaka tears up.

“Good luck,” Sayaka whispers, squeezing her hand.

“Thanks,” Serena tells her.

Backstage, Serena meets Ray, Rin, Crow, Yugo and Amanda, all of whom congratulate her on a fantastic show. Serena changes and they all go out to dinner together. It’s a lot different from the times she’s eaten with Ray or Rin, it’s a lot livelier and happier. Serena could get used to this, being surrounded by laughter. It’s a nice change of pace. When dinner is over, Rin and Serena make an announcement.

“Serena asked me to move in with her,” Rin tells her brothers, “And I said yes.”


	3. Epilogue - One Year Later

Serena leans back as Luna leaps into her lap and sniffs at her face. “What?” Serena asks the cat. Luna rubs her head against Serena’s chin, purring loudly. Serena strokes Luna’s back. “I know, I just have to finish this paper real quick.”

She and Rin adopted Luna six months ago. She’s a long-haired black cat, around five years old, who has diabetes. She needs special food and regular checkups, but she’s a perfectly ordinary cat otherwise, who loves being petted and playing fetch with her sparkle-ball.

Serena finishes typing up her paper while fending off Luna’s attempts to breathe her fishy breath in her face. When Serena finishes her paper, she closes her laptop and carries Luna to the couch. She grabs the ball and tosses it into the kitchen, and Luna takes off like a shot, her claws skittering on the floor as she chases down her prey.

Serena hears Rin laugh from the bedroom. “I take it playtime is happening?”

“Oh, yeah,” Serena answers as Luna trots back, ball in her mouth. She drops the toy at Serena’s feet, and Serena tosses it high in the air. Luna leaps up and catches it between her paws, and looks at Serena as if daring her to try harder.

The game continues for several minutes until Luna gets bored, and Serena calls her up on the sofa to be brushed. Luna’s fur requires frequent brushing, but it’s a task Serena does happily; it’s so calming to brush a happy cat.

Rin comes into the living room and kisses Serena’s cheek as she passes. “Finish your paper?”

“Yep,” Serena says. “Two days early.”

“And when’s the showcase?” Rin calls as she rummages through the fridge.

“The thirteenth.”

Serena takes modern dance, and she’s been excelling so much that she’s performing at the student showcase despite still being a freshman. Her role is small, but it’ll be nice to be back on stage after a year away from performing. She’s even thinking about taking choreography next year, in what will be her third college semester. Aside from her dance classes, she’s taking Japanese History, conversational Chinese, and History of Music. Last year she took History of Dance and it reignited her passion for learning not just how to dance, but about what dance means to the world.

Rin still works in the sports shop, and she still competes in motocross races. Serena finally saw one of her races, and it was the first time in her life that speed scared her. Motocross isn’t her thing, but she’s been learning to ride a motorcycle, and over the next school break she’s going to test for a license. Of course, she already rides in empty parking lots, under Rin’s watchful eyes. Serena couldn’t ask for a better teacher.

Rin come back to the living room and hands Serena a can of soda, and she cracks open a can for herself as well. “And you have therapy tomorrow?”

Serena nods. She goes every week for talk therapy, and once a month to a psychiatrist to talk about how she’s doing with her medication. She takes an antidepressant once a day.

Luna sticks her nose in Serena’s soda can and Serena raises her hand above her head. Luna follows, paws up on Serena’s shoulder, and she mewls pitifully.

“Silly girl,” Rin coos, snapping her fingers to get Luna’s attention, “Soda isn’t for cats.”

Luna leaps off the sofa and stalks away, clearly offended. Rin scoots over to take her spot on the sofa, and she drapes her legs over Serena’s lap.

“So, any thoughts for dinner tonight?” Rin asks.

“How about chili?”

Rin glances at the clock. “We’ll have to get started right away.”

Serena pokes the bottom of Rin’s foot and Rin shrieks, jerking her legs back. Serena leaps up. “Last one in the kitchen does dishes!”

Rin yells that Serena cheats and Serena nearly trips over Luna as she makes a mad dash for the kitchen. Of course she doesn’t mean it, they’ll probably both do the dishes together, but it’s fun to watch Rin whine and pout.

Sometimes Serena finds herself overwhelmed by how different her life is compared to a year ago. She’s so much happier, and she feels like she’s finally got a life worth enjoying. And if this is how she feels after only one year, she can’t wait to find out what changes the next years will bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


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